UPDATE: Monday 12:58 a.m. contains info about new evacuations for Fair Oaks Ranch, direction of fire; originally published at 2:38 p.m. Friday.

18 of the approximately 2,000 Sand Canyon structures that were evacuated yesterday have been destroyed by the Sand Fire, officials said Sunday.  Fire officials are urging Sand Canyon residents to leave the area.

Firefighters are battling a 33,172-acre brush fire called the Sand Fire on the right shoulder of the northbound Highway 14 Freeway at Soledad Canyon Road, which is forcing the evacuation of some Santa Clarita Valley residents.

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Fire officials reported that as of 10:20 p.m., the Sand Fire has now burned 33,172 acres. There is no updated figure for containment.

9:32 p.m. – Sunday 07/24/16 – Between 10 p.m. (Sunday) and 7 a.m. (Monday), Angeles National Forest Service officials are asking that the public call 323-881-2472 for information regarding ‪#‎SandFire‬ evacuations and road closures.

9:08 p.m. Monday 07/25 AV Line train service will operate between Via Princessa & Los Angeles ONLY. Bus bridge will not be provided.

8:39 p.m. Palmdale Sheriff’s Station deputies announced additional evacuations for the Acton/Agua Dulce area, due to the ‪#‎SandFire‬

8:35 p.m. Additional mandatory evacuations have now been implemented for the following areas:

-East of the 14 freeway from Golden Valley Road to Sand Canyon

-East side of Via Princessa from Lost Canyon to the end of Via Princessa

-All streets east of Lost Canyon Road from Via Princessa to Santa Clara River and all streets east of the area

-Agua Dulce Road to the West

-Soledad Canyon Road to the South

-Acton camp to the East

-Sierra Highway and Shady Lane to Sierra Hwy at the 14 freeway

-Escondido at the 14 freeway to Sierra Hwy at the 14 freeway

8:20 p.m. New evacuation orders have been added: Agua Dulce Canyon Road north to Highway 14 freeway. Crown Valley Road, north to the 14 Fwy, and all off Soledad in between. Also all of Bootlegger Canyon.

7:40 p.m. CHP is now confirming Highway 14 freeway is re-opened in both directions and the SigAlert has been cancelled.

7:29 Drivers are reporting the Highway 14 freeway from the Interstate 5 to at least Sand Canyon Road is now open.

7:09 p.m. Community members wanted to share some information with neighbors. The Church on the Way in Valencia, at 23415 Cinema Drive, is opening its parking lot for anyone forced to leave their homes, looking for space to store animals or campers. The Agua Dulce Women’s Club is currently serving a free dinner at its club on a first come, first served basis. Due to a canceled event, tonight only, the organization has free food it is serving until it runs out.

The Fair Oaks Ranch evacuations are not mandatory, but are considered a precautionary measure. East of Highway 14 freeway, from Golden Valley Road to Sand Canyon Road, excluding the Sand Canyon Mobile Home Park. Residents are to evacuate; businesses are to shelter in place.

Fire officials are evacuating the east side of Via Princessa from Lost Canyon Road to the end of Via Princessa, and all streets east of there. Lost Canyon Road from Via Princessa to the Santa Clara River and all streets east.

The Fair Oaks Ranch evacuations are not mandatory, but are considered a precautionary measure. East of Highway 14 freeway, from Golden Valley Road to Sand Canyon Road, excluding the Sand Canyon Mobile Home Park. Residents are to evacuate; businesses are to shelter in place.

Fair Oaks Ranch residents on Cardinal Lane are reporting voluntary evacuations as a precautionary measure. Flames have the potential to threaten the area, but it’s not being evacuated at this time.

Fire officials are urging any Sand Canyon residents still in the area to leave now. The fire has jumped Placerita Canyon Road and structures in the area are threatened.

Hart district officials updated class and activities scheduled for Monday.

Sierra Highway has been deemed the only viable option for Acton residents fleeing the Sand Fire as of 4:35 p.m. Residents should either head south to Hart High School in Santa Clarita or north to Highland High School in Palmdale.

Summer School classes will continue at Golden Valley High School Monday despite the school being used as a staging area for officials coordinating firefighting efforts against the ‪#‎SandFire‬. Outdoor activities at the school were cancelled as of 4:15 p.m.

The 14 freeway has been shut down at the 5/14 split and at Avenue M in Lancaster. This closure affects both sides of the freeway. All northbound traffic is being directed onto the 5 freeway.

Officials are concerned that the fire will jump the freeway, after it was able to jump Soledad Canyon Rd. this afternoon.

A map of the current road closures and active burn areas as of 3:45 p.m.

No closure of the 14 as of 3:30 p.m. but officials say closures are expected later in the afternoon.

Antelope Valley Fairground is the only place accepting large animals at this time.

Large animals are no longer being accepted at Hansen Dam, Pierce College, or Jack Bones Equestrian Center.

Antelope Valley Fairgrounds are located at 2551 West Avenue H in Lancaster

No new evacuations have been placed since the latest round, which went into effect shortly after 1 p.m. However, residents are reminded to avoid any evacuation zones, including Sand Canyon. It is unknown when residents will be allowed back into those areas as of 2:25 p.m.

Aqua Dulce Canyon Rd. north to the 14, Crown Valley north to the 14, all of soledad Canyon Rd. in between those places, as well as Bootleggar Canyon in Acton are under mandatory evacuation. It is unknown how many homes were affected.

The evacuation center is Highland High School, located at 39055 25th Street West in Palmdale.

Soledad Canyon Rd. at Aqua Dulce Canyon Rd to Acton Camp is under a MANDATORY evacuation as of 1:10 p.m. Residents are reminded to comply with all evacuation orders from emergency officials.

All re-entry into Sand Canyon has been cancelled due to high wind activity. No residents will be alloed to return as of 12:40 p.m.  according to fire chief Greg Hisel.

Only residents of Sand Canyon on the west side of Sand Canyon Rd. will be allowed to return to their homes as of 12:15 p.m.

What were originally reported as homes have been reclassified as “structures destroyed” according to fire officials. Structures were destroyed in the Little Tujunga, Bear Divide, Sand Canyon and Placerita Canyon areas.

18 homes have been destroyed by the Sand Fire and one has been damaged, KHTS has learned.

Assessment teams are still in the areas affected by the fire, which include Sand Canyon and Little Tujunga, and that number could increase, said LACoFD spokeswoman Stephanie English at 9 a.m. Sunday.

English had a message for Sand Canyon residents as well as Soledad Canyon homeowners.

“The Sand Canyon and Placerita Canyon residents should remain vigilant,” she said. “And Soledad Canyon residents going into Agua Dulce and Acton should remain on high alert all day Sunday.”

Winds are expected to put homes in that area in jeopardy sometime Sunday.

Large animals such as horses should be taken to Pierce College, located at 6201 Winnetka Ave, Woodland Hills. All other large animal evacuation centers are full and cannot accept any more animals.

At least 17 single-family homes have been destroyed, mostly in Sand Canyon, Bear Divide and Little Tujunga, ABC7 is reporting.

An assessment team is currently in the Sand Canyon area, and the number of homes destroyed could grow as they report back.

Evacuations for Santa Clarita and Little Tujunga residents are still in place Sunday.

Residents cannot return to the Sand Canyon area until advised to do so by emergency personnel. The evacuation point in the SCV is Hart High School, located at 24825 Newhall Ave.

The Sand Fire has spread to 22,000 acres in the night. An official with the Angeles National Forest said that favorable wind conditions kept the flames from more “explosive” growth.

The body found in near North Iron Canyon Road is being investigated by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide detectives. His identity is currently unknown.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a call of a dead body found near homes on North Iron Canyon Road in Sand Canyon. Deputies were still responding as of 8 p.m.

A model of the smoke from the #SandFire, tweeted by ANF at 7:45 a.m. Sunday. Palmdale is expected to bear the brunt of the smoke Sunday afternoon.

The evacuation center for Sand Fire has been moved to Hart High School. The evacuation center is no longer at Golden Valley High School.

KHTS AM-1220 has received visual of two homes that were destroyed by the #SandFire Friday, as Sand Canyon residents were ordered to leave their homes.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to a call of a dead body found near homes on North Iron Canyon Road in Sand Canyon. Deputies were still responding as of 8 p.m.

Hart High School is located at 24825 Newhall Ave., Newhall.

Evacuations are expected to continue throughout the night, and Hart High will remain open. Golden Valley High School is not open at this time.

The Placerita Canyon Nature Center has been evacuated, all of the animals and people made it out safely, according to a source familiar with the facility’s evacuation.

officials confirmed as of 5:55 p.m. that the fire is still under a unified joint command between Angeles National Forest Service and Los Angeles County Fire.

Forest officials are handling the “wild land” portion of the fire, according Inspector Diaz, whereas L.A. County Fire is handling structure protection. More evacuations are expected soon.

Officials are confirming at 5:10 p.m. that homes are being threatened on the 15000 block of Saddleback Rd.

“There are homes threatened on that street,” said supervising fire dispatcher Robert Diaz.

Iron Canyon residents are reporting flames in the yards of houses. As well, video shows LACoFD airplanes dropping fire retardant directly onto the houses in the neighborhood.

A hard closure is in effect on Sand Canyon Road, east of Highway 14. The Sand Canyon offramp on the northbound 14 freeway is also closed.

Sand Canyon is being shut down at Soledad Canyon Rd., with residents unable to enter the area from that direction.

As of 4:15 p.m., Placerita Canyon Rd. has been closed again to residents leaving the Sand Canyon Rd.

Drivers are able to exit Sand Canyon onto the 14 via Placerita Canyon Rd.

Updated numbers on the evacuation of Sand Canyon show that 1,080 homes are being evacuated, with residents fleeing in front of the Sage Fire.

Officials are warning residents and other non-emergency personnel to leave the area close to Sand Canyon, as they are blocking the flow of emergency traffic.

The latest evacuations include Placerita Canyon residents from the Nature Center to Sand Canyon. These are considered mandatory evacuations, as a precautionary measure.

Robinson Ranch Golf Course to Bear Divide is being closed down and Placerita Canyon Nature to Sand Canyon Road is being shut down, according to Los Angeles County Fire officials. There is no update for containment figure, with the fire still at 11,000 acres with 10 percent containment as of 3:30 p.m.

About 100 homes total have been evacuated, and it’s still considered a precautionary measure. Fire officials plan to provide an update on the status of the #SandFire at 6 p.m.

Residents of Sand Canyon are being evacuated by emergency personnel due to the threat of fire in the neighborhood. A southeasterly shift in the winds pushed the fire back towards the residential area south of the 14 freeway, endangering hundreds of homes.

Being Told To Evacuate? Here’s What To Do

The Santa Clarita Shakespeare in the Park was also cancelled Saturday due to air quality conditions. There is no word currently on an alternative date for the festival.

This week’s Concerts in the Park event has been cancelled due to air quality conditions in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Residents are advised to stay indoors and make sure all windows and whole-house fans are off.

A meteorologist with the National Weather Service confirmed that winds will likely pick up Saturday afternoon, pushing in a southwesterly direction.

Wind is expected to be about 10 to 15 miles per hour, said Robbie Munroe with the National Weather Service, with gusts of about 25 MPH.

However, Munroe said winds were expected to die down tonight.

“By the evening hours, (winds) will decrease,” he said. “We will not see…what we saw last night (in terms of wind).”

Temperatures in the areas affected by the fire are 108 degrees as of 1:45 p.m. with humidity in the single digits. However, Munroe said a deepening marine layer could add moisture to the air, helping firefighters battle the blaze.

No more help is needed at the Wildlife Waystation preserve. Residents are advised to avoid the area, to allow emergency vehicles to pass through.

Residents of Sand Canyon are advised that there may be a danger to the community as the #SandFire heads closer to the canyon. No evacuation orders have been put out as of 12:15, but residents should listen to officials if they are asked to evacuate.

LACoFD officials confirmed the Sand Fire had grown to 11,000 acres as of 11:15, with 10% containment. 100 homes have been evacuated.

Southern California Edison officials confirmed shortly after 11:20 that 10 power poles in the path of the fire were downed or damaged, cutting off power to 45 customers.

31 of the customers should have power restored by 3 p.m. Saturday, but for the other 14, “it’s going to be a very long time before we can restore power,” said Edison spokesman David Song.

Due to the poles being directly in the fire’s containment area, crews are unable to assess or repair them as of 11:30 a.m

A power pole is down in the Sand Canyon area, cutting off power to residents and forcing a closure of the street at Condor Ridge as of 11 a.m. Residents needing to get into the Sand Canyon area can use Live Oak Spring Rd. to bypass the closure.

As well, the Placerita Canyon offramp from the northbound 14 is closed, with residents unable to exit into the Sand Canyon area due to a large number of firefighters in the area.

LACoFD spokeswoman Stephanie English emphasized shortly before 11 a.m. that Sand Canyon was not in danger at the moment and crews were using the neighborhood as a “staging area” to move out to areas of the fire that need immediate attention.

“We don’t have any concern for Sand Canyon right now. We’re just putting all our resources in place,” English said. “We’re watching the fire behavior and wind very carefully and will make (evacuation) announcements if and when they are needed.”

Witnesses are reporting that several areas of Sand Canyon are without power. It is unknown if the outages are directly related to the fire as of 10:25 a.m.

One structure has been destroyed by the #SandFire, according to LACoFD officials. It is unknown if the building was a residential home or other structure.

One residential area, containing about 200-300 homes, is under evacuation, and officials have no current plans to evacuate more areas as of 9:30 a.m. Little Tujunga Canyon between Bear Divide and the ranger station is under a mandatory evacuation.

During the night, the evacuation order for Soledad Canyon Rd. was lifted, allowing residents back into the area.

A large animal evacuation site was set up in the night, at Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, loczated at 11127 Orca Ave. in Sylmar. Owners of large

Here are the current road closures as of 9:10 a.m. Saturday.

animals such as horses are encouraged to take their animals to the site.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday morning, the Sand Fire has grown to 5,500 acres with 0 percent containment. Evacuations are still in affect for Little Tujunga Canyon Road, north of Golden Creek.

Officials  have closed Sand Canyon Road at Placerita Canyon Road, as well as Little Tujunga Road at Gold Creek on the other side of the mountain, according to Sgt Vanderleek with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 11:50 p.m. Traffic in the north east of the SCV will be affected by the fire throughout the night, and residents are encouraged to find alternative routes or find a place to rest for the night.

Wind speeds, which have hovered around 15 miles per hour throughout the day, have increased to approximately 20 MPH as of 11:15 p.m., complicating firefighting efforts.

Los Angeles County Fire Department officials reported as of 10:45 p.m., no structures are directly in the fire’s path, but several hundred ‪homes were under evacuation as a precautionary measure.

As of 10:15 p.m., approximately 200-300 homes in unincorporated Los Angeles County, the Bear Divide to Gold Creek in Little Tujunga, is under mandatory evacuation. Gold Creek to the the bottom of Camp 16 is voluntary evacuation.

Deputies established a new command post to assist with the effort at Canyon Country Park, around 8 p.m. More evacuations may be coming, according to Sgt. Allen with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, earlier this evening.

“There are some standbys for possible evacuations,” he said around 6:30 p.m. “We are definitely standing by to evacuate more people.”

Allen added that the area was sparsely populated, complicating efforts to reach residents who may be in danger.

Officials with the LACoFD are saying as of 5:50 p.m., the ‪#‎SandFire‬ is now at 2,500 acres, with 0% containment. No new evacuations have been issued.

An evacuation order has been called from Soledad Canyon at the 14 freeway all the way up to Aqua Dulce Canyon Road, according to LACoFD officials at 4:50 p.m. Officials believe Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies will be conducting hard road closures in the areas close to the fire soon.

The Golden Valley High School small gym is being used by the Red Cross as an evacuation point for residents affected by the Sand Fire. Officials hope to get the evacuation point up and running by 6:30 p.m. Golden Valley High School is located at 27051 Robert C. Lee Pkwy.

Some parts of Soledad Canyon Rd. are shut down due to the fire, said Sgt. Allen with the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station at 5:15 p.m. More road closures are expected to be called soon.

Fire officials reported that as of 4:24 p.m. the fire was moving up the hillside, away from homes, into the Angeles National Forest, and warned Canyon Country residents to be aware of wind shift.

The Sand Fire is at 1,500 acres as of 4:40 p.m., according to fire officials, who noted the fire is pushing east fast, despite mild 12-15 mph wind, as of 4:07 p.m. A third alarm has been called and fixed wing aircraft are currently making drops on the fire.

Angeles National Forest has called a third alarm response for the flames.

River’s End RV Park is being evacuated at 13130 Soledad Canyon Road, and Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are on scene in case further structures are threatened.

“They mowed that hill down to build a lot of homes and nothing was built,” said Inspector Richard Licon with the LACoFD about the terrain.

A SigAlert was issued on the 14 north at Soledad Canyon Road at 3:14 p.m. with multiple lane closures, causing traffic to back up in the area, according to CHP officials.

CHP reports indicated that the blaze was off the freeway as of 3:21 p.m.

Assisting in the firefighting efforts are nine engines, three helicopters and 195 personnel. Officials are worried however that triple-digit temperatures may complicate the efforts to battle the blaze.

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Several alternative routes are available to avoid the area. Motorists stuck in the San Fernando Valley can take Little Tejunga over to Sand Canyon Road. Those traveling east can take the I-5 to the 138. Sierra Highway is another alternative, and those on the 14 freeway can exit and travel toward Bouquet Canyon Road, going through Lake Elizabeth to get to Palmdale.

All northbound and southbound Metrolink trains through the Santa Clarita Valley have been stopped due to the fire as of 4:30 p.m. Via Princessa is the last stop in Santa Clarita for Metro Trains. Acton is the last stop north of the SCV.

The blaze was originally reported as a second alarm brush fire on the right shoulder of the road near the northbound 14 freeway. Units were on scene shortly before 2:20 p.m.

Ed. Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.